Leg attaching device



Nov. 14, 1933. c c BQGARDUS 1,935,540

LEG ATTAGHING DEVICE Filed July 19. 1932 2 238 15 1 21 91. 9 FJuaZb 16 g J J 3mm 12 Chude (ZBOjanlus 26-51. Z z p a n 16 Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES 1 PATENT? OFFICE LEG ATTACHING DEVICE Claude 0. Bogardus, Warsaw, Ky. Application July 19, 1932. Serial No. 623,422

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a leg attaching device designed primarily for use in connection with the legs of card tables, but it is to be understood that a leg attaching device, in accordance with this invention may be employed in any connection for which it may be found applicable, and the invention has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of the class referred to for setting up a wedging'action l0 uponthe leg when the latter, is extended and to detachably maintain the leg in such position.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a leg attaching device for pivotally connecting the leg with the table top and including spring controlled releasable means for fixedly securing the leg stationary when the latter is extended.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide, in amanner as hereinafter set forth, a leg attaching 1 device for pivotally connecting the leg with a table top, and including spring controlled releasable wedging means carriedby the leg for fixedly securing the latter in extended position.

Further objects of the inventionare to provide, in'a manneras hereinafter set forth, a device for the purpose referred to, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, du-

rable, compact, readily installed with respect to a table top, thoroughly efiicient for the purpose in- 3 0 tended, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture. I r r To the above ends essentially, and to others which may hereinafter appear; the invention consists of such parts, and such combination of parts which fallwithinthe scope of the invention as claimed. 1

In the drawing: 7 v r p Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in section of a table top showing the adaptationtherewith of 49 the leg attaching device in position formaintaining a leg extended, the device being shown in side elevation and the leg broken away. Figure2 is a fragmentary view insection of a tabletop showing the adaptation therewith of the leg attaching device in position for maintaining a leg extended, the device being shown in rear elevation and the leg broken away.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in inverted plan of a table top showing the adaptation therewith of the leg attaching device and with the leg in folded position, the devicebeing shown in inverted plan and the leg broken away.

The leg attaching device includes a channeled shaped housing 1 toreceive the upper portion of 5 .a table leg 2, and the width of the housing relative to that of the upper portion of the leg is such, that a wedging action will beset up between the sides of the housing and sides of the upper portion of the leg when the latter is extended. A wedging action is also set up between the upper portion of the sides of the leg and the sides of the housingwhen the leg is folded, but the area of such action is not as great when theleg is extended, and in this connection see Figure 3. The housing 1 includes a front wall 3 and a pair ofside walls 4, 5. The length of the side walls is greater than the width of said front wall. The side walls are the same height and length and the height thereof corresponds to that of the front wall. The bottom edge"? of each side wall is of less length than the top edge 8. thereof. The end edge 9 of each side wall is extended rearwardly with respect-to the rear end of edge 7 and is rearwardly curved from edge 7 to edge 8. The sidewall 5 at its top is formed with a laterally extended lengthwise disposed apertured flange 10. Thewall 5 has a pair of spaced openings 11 for a purpose to be referred to. I I I One of the dependingends of table top 12 is indicated at 13. One of the depending sides of top 12 is designated 14. The top 12 is countersunk in theend and side 13, 14 respectively as at 15, 16 respectively. The housing 1 is positioned below the top 12 in a manner whereby front wall3 will abut the inner face of end 13' and wall 4 will abut the inner face of side 14. Holdfast means 17 extend through wall 3 and engage in end 13. Holdfast means 18 extend through wall 4 and engage in side 14. I-Ioldfast 'means 19 extend through flange 10 and engage in top 12. The openings 10 in wall 5 permit of access being had to holdfast means 18. The walls 4, 5 are provided with wedge shaped notches 20, 21 respectively which. open at the rear ends of the bottom edges 7 of saidwalls. The inner transverse corners of leg 2 are rounded as at' 22, 23. Extended throu h the leg 2 in proximity to its inner or upper end'and at a point between its lengthwise median and rear side is a pivot bar 24 therefor'which extends through walls 4, 5' and is coupled to housing 1.- The ends of bar 24 are headed asat 25. The rear side 26 of leg 2 is formed centrally with a recess 27 extending lengthwise of the leg. The outer end of the recess is open, as at 28. Positioned against the rear side26 of leg 2 and slidable relatively to and lengthwise of the latter is a spring controlled latching member 29 for wedging engagement in the notches 20, 21

for the purpose of maintaining the leg in ex tended position. The member 29 is formed of an intermediate part 30 and a pair of end parts 31, 32. The part 30 is of less width and of greater length than part 32, the latter is of greater width and of less length than part 31. The part 31 is of greater length than part 30. The member 29 has a centrally disposed lengthwise slot-33 formed in a portion of parts'31, 32 and extending through part 30. The width of part 32 with respect to part 30 provides a pair of oppositely extending protuberances 33, 34 for wedging engagement in the notches 20, 21 and for riding against the end edges 9 of walls 4, 5. The part 32 has extending outwardly from the free edge and at right angles thereto a flange 35 constituting a finger grip for shifting.

member 29 against the action of its controlling spring to be presently referred to. The part 31 has extending inwardly from its free edge and at right angles thereto an abutment 36 which slides in the recess 27. Mounted in the recess 27 and interposed between the inner end wall of the latter-and the abutment 36 is the controlling spring 3'7 for the member 29. The spring 37 permanently tends to shift the member 2- infla direction towards the inner end of the leg 2. The member 29 is slidably connected to leg 2. bya plurality of headed'retaining elements 38 which extend through slot 33 and are fixed to leg 2 in spaced relation to' the inner end wall of recess 27. 1

The table top 12 has its lower face in proximity to the edges 9 of walls 4, 5 provided with a pocket 39 to receive the flange 35 when the leg is folded.

If the leg -2 be in the position shown in Figure 3, andit is desired to latch it in extended position, the leg is pulled outwardly carrying the latching member therewith and with the protuberances 33, 34 riding against the edges 9 against the action of spring 37. When the protuberanc es arriveat the open ends of the notches 20, 21 the spring 37 will act to pull the protuberances in the notches thereby positioning member 29 in latching position, and with a wedging action being set up between the protuberances and walls of the notches as well as a wedging action being formed between the upper portion of the leg and walls 4, 5 of the housing. To release the leg, the member 29 is pulled in a direction to provide for the protuberances to clearthe notches and to be positioned against edges 9. The leg can then be moved to the position shown in Figure 3, and with spring 37 acting to maintain the leg in folded or non-extended position.

What I claim.is:

1. In a leg attaching device, the combination of a housing adapted to be secured with a table top and formed with anopen bottom and an open end, 'a ioldable leg having its upper portion ex tended into said housing, the width of a part of the housing "andto the width of a part of said portion of the leg being such relatively to each other to provide afwedging action between said parts when the leg is folded and extended, means for pivotally connectingsaid upper portion to said housing, and a spring controlled latching memberslidably connected against one side and disposed lengthwise of one side of the upper portion .of the leg, said member and housing having coacting interengaging means to provide a releasable wedge-like latching action between said member and housing for maintaining the leg in extended position.

2. In a leg attaching device, a housing for connection with a table top, said housing having an open end and an open bottom, means for pivotally connecting the upper portion of the leg Within the housing, a spring controlled slotted latching member positioned lengthwise of and against one side of the upper portion of the leg, the controlling spring for said member being seated in said side and having one end bearing against the inner end of said member, means forslidably connecting said member to the leg, said member provided at its outer end with oppositely disposed lateral protuberances, said housing including side walls having bottom edges, curved end edges and notches at the point of joinder between said end and bottom edges, said notches being for the reception of the protuberances against the action of the controlling spring of said member when the leg is extended to maintain the latter extended, and said protuberances riding against said curved edges against the action of the controlling spring of said member when the leg is folded to maintain the latter folded.-

3. In a leg attaching device, a housing for connection with a table top, said'housing having an open end and an open bottom, means for pivotally connecting the upper portion of the leg within the housing, a slotted latching member positioned lengthwise of and having its inner end extending into one side of said upper portion, means for slidably connecting said member against'said side of the upper portion of the leg, said member provided with oppositely' extending spaced aligning lateral protuberances, a controlling spring for said member seated in said side of the upper portion of the leg and bearing at one end against the inner end of said member, said housing including side walls having bottom edges, curved end edges and notches atthe' point of joinder between said end and bottom edges, said notches being for the reception of the protuberances against the action of the controlling spring of said member-when the leg is extended to main tain the latter extended, said protuberances riding against said curved edges against the'action of the controlling spring of said member when the leg isiolded to" maintain the latter folded, said protuberances being arranged at the outer end of said member, and a finger grip at the outer end of the member and arranged at right angles to said protuberances.

' 4. Ina tableleg attaching device, the combination of "a legprovided with a recess in one side at the upper end of the latter, a slotted latching member disposed lengthwise of said side and provided at its inner end with an-angularly disposed abutment positioned in opposed parallel spaced relation to an end wallof the recess, a controlling spring for said member mounted in said: recess and interposed between and permanently bearing against said abutment and wall, means extending throughthe slot of saidmember for slidably connecting it to said side, said member having its other end formed with lateral protuberances, a housing adapted to be secured with a table top, means for pivotally the action of said spring for latching the leg in an extended position.

5. In combination, a table top having its inner face provided with a pocket, a housing. secured to said face adjacent to and forwardly of the -pocl et, said housing being open at its bottom and at its inner end, a foldable leg having its upi per portion positioned in said housing and with the rear side face of said portion being formed with a recess, means for pivotally connecting said abutment and protuberances coacting with the controlling spring of said member and the side walls of the housing maintaining the leg folded, and said member having a finger grip disposed at right angles to the protuberances and seating in said pocket when the leg is folded.

6. In combination, a table top having its inner face provided with a pocket, a housing secured to said face adjacent to and forwardly of the pocket, said housing being open at its bottom and at its inner end, a foldable leg having its upper portion positioned in said housing and with the rear side face of said portion being formed with a recess, means for pivotally connecting said portion of the leg to the housing adjacent said recess, a controlling spring in said recess, said housing including side walls provided with spaced aligning notches, a spring controlled latching member slidably connected upon the said rear side face of said portion of the leg and provided at its outer end with lateral-protuberances engageable in said notches for releasably securing the leg in extended position, and at its inner end-with an abutment extending into said recess and bearing against one end of said spring, said abutment and protuberances coacting with the controlling spring of said member and the side walls of the housing maintaining the leg folded, said member having a finger grip disposed at right angles to the protuberances and seating in said pocket when the leg is folded, and the width of a part of the housing and the width of a part of said portion of the leg being such relatively to each other to provide a wedging action between said parts when the leg is folded and extended.

'7. In a leg attaching device, a housing adapted to be secured with a table top and with an open bottom and an open rear end, a foldable leg having its upper portion arranged within and pivotally connected to the housing, the width of a part of said housing and the width of a part of said upper portion being such relatively to each other to provide for a Wedging action between said parts when the leg is folded and extended, said housing being formed with V-shaped aligning notches at its rear end, and a spring vcontrolled latching member slidably connected upon the rear side face of said upper portion and provided with protuberances for engaging in said notches for holding the leg in extended position, the thickness of said protuberances with respect to the Width of said notches being such to provide in connection with the controlling spring for said member to set up a wedge-like action between opposed walls of'the notches and the protuberances when the leg is extended.

CLAUDE C. BOGARDUS. 

